My dog is sucking her nipples. Why are they bruised and sore?

It is difficult to say from the picture, it would be advisable to have a check up so that she can have general check up and also that she is checked for milk, as sometimes dogs can start producing milk as a result of a phantom pregnancy.. Having said this she is still very young so this normally happens after at least a couple of seasons ! I would say yo have her checked over to put your mind at rest ! All the best, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !

Hello. This is nothing to be overly concerned about. Manakoa is old enough that there are hormones circulating & this nipple just seems to be a little more sensitive to the effects of estrogen at this point in time. If you were planning on spaying her, this is a good time to consider doing so, but otherwise, as long as the nipple does not continue to show further hormonal influence, it should not significantly affect her. If it does continue to enlarge & seems to bother her, do see your vet. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am not sure why your pet would be self-mutilating herself. Typically self mutilation cases occur with a recently docked tail, or cropped ear, or some body part that was recently operated on. Or they occur when a particular body part is painful to the pet. Unless there is some condition occurring under the skin that is irritating to your pet that has gone undetected, I see no reason for her to do this. Maybe this should be looked at by your vet to see if they can detect any abnormalities with the skin in this area. You can try placing a cone on her or a t-shirt to prevent her from mutilating herself until you can get her seen by your vet. If she is causing serious trauma to the nipple, then you may want to discuss surgical removal of the nipple entirely and/or oral medication for anxiety to see if you can curb this behavior. I will say this is quite a peculiar thing and is not seen commonly in pets. Hopefully you can get to the bottom of it before she does more damage to herself.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Is she was allowed access to intact male dogs she could be pregnant but you wouldn't see symptoms this soon. She may be experiencing a false pregnancy this is a hormonal imbalance where the body makes hormones that mimic pregnancy. The dog will nest, act anxious, carry stuffed animals around, the mammary glands can become enlarged and they can even produce milk. It lasts a few weeks then resolves. The only thing that doesn't fit is the excessive licking. Possible causes for excessive licking of the vulva is a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine or a skin infection around the vulva. I would collect a urine sample and bring it with you to have Milah examined. I wish you the best!

Hello. It is possible that your girl is having what we call a false pregnancy. I have attached an article below that fully explains it. You will want to stop her nursing in order to stop the milk production. An e-collar might be necessary for this. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1896 Please let me know if that is helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello. The amount of blood flow to the mammary glands ( not boobs ) has increased tremendously & this can cast a bluish tinge to the tissues. As long as the tissues seem soft & pliable, there is no pain & your dog seems comfortable nursing, then this is normal. Signs of infection in the glands ( mastitis ) would be pain, erythema ( redness ), lethargy, a reluctance to nurse, possibly a loss of appetite, a red discharge from the nipples, & ulceration of the tissues. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am wondering if Lokita might be experiencing a pseudopregnancy. Sometimes dogs will have all of the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and can even produce milk without being pregnant. It’s important to make sure she isn’t truly pregnant even though you keep a close eye on her. I’d recommend having your vet examine her - they may want to perform an ultrasound to make sure she isn’t pregnant and if they are suspicious of pseudopregnancy they can discuss treatment.